Let’s face it, when it comes to animals in need, we all want to do what we can to help. When we drop off supplies at our local shelter, we know exactly what kind of help we’re providing. Not everyone has the time to go shopping for food, litter, or other supplies, so many people tend to donate cold, hard cash, and hope that it goes where it’s needed the most. If you’re writing a check to your local shelter, you can rest assured that they will put the funds towards the care of the animals - whether it’s buying food, veterinary care, or paying for kennel staff to care for the animals, your dollars will be put to good use.
But what about big, national animal charities? How do you know where your money is going? To put it bluntly, you don’t. Not all animal charities are equal, and some of them are just plain greedy. Take the Humane Society of the United States, for example. Every year through TV campaigns, the HSUS raises millions of dollars, but they do not own or operate any shelters, and they only give about 1% of the money raised to animal shelters. Along with federal racketeering charges, sexual harassment claims, and supporting terrorist attacks, the HSUS also supported dogfighter Michael Vick in getting another dog. And of course, there’s also the consistently poor ratings from Charity Watchdog and other charity rating organizations, mostly due to their high overhead (again, they do not operate any shelters) and high spending on fundraising (spending as much as 48 cents for every dollar raised). Even PETA managed to get better charity ratings than HSUS! Speaking of PETA…
Click here for more information about the deceptive practices of HSUS!
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, is one of the most misleading names in existence. The ethical treatment of animals is something that we can all get behind, but the way PETA treats the animals that are turned into it’s Virginia shelter is anything but ethical! In 2019 alone, PETA euthanized nearly 1,600 cats and dogs at the shelter. These numbers are self-reported according to Virginia’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, something every shelter in the state must do every year. The article goes on, “...PETA killed 1,593 dogs, cats, and other pets last year–a repulsive 66% kill rate. Of the 2,380 pets the organization took in, only 32 pets were adopted out. (Several hundred other pets were sent to other facilities.)”
For a comparison, in shelters in the state of Colorado in 2019, the average rehoming rate for dogs was approximately 98%, and about 95% for cats. If you think PETA’s 66% kill rate is disgusting, you should take a look at their past, where the kill rate has been as high as 97%! PETA members have stolen (and euthanized) healthy animals from their owners, which led to a “bombshell” document when a former PETA employee came forward, stating, “...We would routinely euthanize healthy puppies and kittens”.
PETA’s sneaky, unethical handling of animals prompted the Center for Consumer Freedom to denounce the group and create the website www.PETAKillsAnimals.com to spread the news about what they are doing. When two PETA employees were arrested and charged with 31 felony animal cruelty charges in 2005, Center for Consumer Freedom Director of Research David Martosko said it best:
“This is disturbing behavior on the part of self-professed animal lovers, and I hope the public takes notice… PETA raked in nearly $29 million last year alone, but apparently it couldn’t spare any money to care for the flesh-and-blood animals entrusted to its employees. It’s ironic — If anyone else were caught red-handed with 31 dead dogs, PETA would be holding a press conference to denounce them.”
There are many great animal charity organizations out there that do amazing things for so many animals, it’s just too bad that two of the biggest, HSUS and PETA, won’t use the donations they are given to actually help animals. In short, give to local shelters, where your donation will do the most good.
Here’s a short list of local animal shelters that can always use supplies or monetary donations:
Kittycorner Waystation - assisting Cats Alive SLV
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